[Bounci]

This "Pat of Appreciation" clip comes from the film The Devil and Miss Jones from 1941, and stars Charles Coburn as a shop boss who decides to go undercover to check on his workers by posing as an employee. He becomes friendly with shopgirl Jean Arthur, and in this scene ends up going to the beach along with fellow workers Spring Byington and Robert Cummings. Cummings gives Coburn some homemade wine to drink before deciding to go for a swim, cheekily giving Jean Arthur's bum a good slap as he gets up and causing her to slap back at him in annoyance. Despite this, Arthur is in love with Cummings, and in the famous beach scene (not seen here) talks with Coburn about why she loves him and how she is not as expressive as other lovers. "I guess I'm not the combustible type," she says simply. She sure looks it in that sweater she's wearing, I have to say! (see bottom pic)

The film proved a big hit for Arthur, who had started out in films in 1923! She took a time to find fame, but after dying her naturally brunette hair blonde for the role The Whole Town's Talking in 1935 with Edward G Robinson she became a star, and scored further success in Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1939) and was nominated for an Oscar for The More The Merrier in 1943. Notoriously publicity shy, Arthur's last film was the classic western Shane in 1953, and retired soon after. She died in 1991 in her 91st year.